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- Recent attacks by a non-state armed group have displaced 50,000 people in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgdo province.
- MSF launched an emergency response on 31 July to provide people with general healthcare, mental health services, and water and sanitation services.
- More support is needed for people in Cabo Delgado, who experience repeated displacement because of conflict and natural hazards.
Following a series of attacks by a non-state armed group, the northern province of Cabo Delgado in Mozambique is experiencing its largest wave of displacement since February 2024. Official figures estimate that more than 50,000 people have been displaced.1 Entire families — including young children, pregnant women, and elderly people with chronic conditions — have fled in fear, walking for days to take refuge in makeshift camps under precarious conditions in Chiure town, uncertain about what the future holds.
To help meet critical needs, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has launched an emergency response in two temporary resettlement centres, and we are urgently calling for a coordinated and sustained humanitarian effort in locations facing a surge in needs due to the latest displacement.
An invisible crisis in Cabo Delgado
Trapped between conflict and natural hazards, entire communities in Cabo Delgado have endured repeated displacement and ongoing trauma from the loss of their homes and livelihoods. Both displaced families and host communities are struggling to survive. If action is not taken immediately, there is a risk of an even greater humanitarian disaster.
“This crisis cannot remain invisible,” says Sebastian Traficante, MSF head of operations in Mozambique. “The impact of violence shouldn’t be normalised. More lives will be at risk, and the health and dignity of thousands will continue to deteriorate. People need a coordinated, long-term humanitarian commitment that guarantees access to healthcare and basic services for all.”
The longstanding conflict in Cabo Delgado has left a trail of invisible wounds. Many people fear for their lives if they remain in their homes, yet face enormous challenges in accessing basic needs — such as food, shelter, and healthcare — if they flee. This crisis is unfolding in an already fragile context. Of the 16 health centres in the area, only six remain operational; the rest have been destroyed by either extreme weather events like Cyclone Chido, which struck the province in December 2024, or by armed conflict.
“When the attack happened, I was preparing my harvest for sale,” says Rosalina Maciel, who comes from the village of Ocua and fled after attacks swept through the region. “Then we heard gunshots, and everyone started running. Now, my entire village is gone, everything is ashes. We’re registered here [at the resettlement camp], but we still haven’t received our food.”
“My body is sore from sleeping on the ground, waiting,” she says. “As soon as I get my food, I’ll go back to my machamba [a small plantation camp]. What else can I do? This conflict feels endless.”
Rosalina’s experience mirrors that of thousands of others uprooted by the recent surge in violence across southern Cabo Delgado. MSF teams have found that the most common symptom among adults in temporary centres is anxiety. Like Rosalina, people fear for their uncertain future, not knowing how long they will stay in the resettlement centres, where they might be moved, or what they will eat.
Aid cuts threaten humanitarian response capacities
Organisations responding to medical needs in this emergency have used their remaining funds to support the Ministry of Health and provide assistance. However, due to recent international funding cuts, their presence has been limited, and their interventions are expected to conclude by end of August. While this support was crucial, MSF was among the first medical organisation to send staff to Chiure, launching an emergency response on 31 July in the Namicir and Micone neighbourhoods.
In coordination with the Ministry of Health, MSF teams are supporting two transit camps for displaced people with general healthcare, mental health services, and water and sanitation services — measures that are vital to prevent the spread of diseases in overcrowded, makeshift shelters. Thousands of families recently displaced by the violence are arriving in precarious conditions, urgently needing food, shelter, and medical care. At a time when humanitarian aid is under severe pressure, MSF is maintaining our presence to provide life-saving support to those most affected.
In the first 15 days of the emergency response, we delivered 4,509 medical consultations for adults and children, identified 31 cases of malnutrition, treated 380 children for malaria, facilitated group mental health activities reaching more than 4,000 people, and ensured the supply of 600,000 litres of clean water. Sexual and reproductive health teams provided 397 antenatal consultations, including 281 first-time checkups, underscoring the limited access to health services in these communities.
“Thanks to our financial and operational independence, MSF remains present and able to provide emergency medical care, mental health support, and other essential services,” says Traficante. “But the scale of the crisis far exceeds what any single organisation can address alone, as the violence and displacement are driving needs to unprecedented levels.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).